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The jack-o’-lanterns, trick or treat, guising, games, haunted attractions, and other things and activities connected with the celebration of Halloween don’t even seem scary. In fact, imaginary spooks and sweets seem fun and cannot be harmful in any way. However, they actually are unhealthy both psychologically and physically. Let’s consider some reasons.
Firstly, Halloween itself is unscientific. All Hallows Eve of the ancient Druids, which was celebrated every October 31, is but a celebration honoring the dead and their souls. It also involves some divination rituals and superstitious beliefs. Halloween is connected to ghosts, goblins, as well as evil spirits – just products of imagination. Is it wise to teach kids with something unreal? And if they are real, will costumes and scary masks be able to ward them off? And can they be bribed with sweets? Anyone who thinks these things actually work is playing make believe.
Who gets scared, instead? Scary morbid costumes worn by some mischievous teens and adults may create a lasting fear in some kids. And that could affect their sleep, cause them to get easily startled, and make them fearful of the dark and staying alone. That frightening experience could also cause them to have wild imaginations of creepy creatures. Worse, kids who suffered a terrifying Halloween experience might get phobia, a psychological disorder that usually lasts a long time even with treatment.
Secondly, it’s not good to health. Candies and other sweet stuff handed to kids can harm their dental health, and may lead to sudden increase of blood sugar levels. You surely don’t want to bear with their howling when their teeth ache already. also, no one wants to end up in a creepy hospital and dressed in hospital gown instead of the Halloween costumes. And instead of enjoying the party with friends and family, you and your kids might be spending the whole night seeing half awake people in bloody medical scrubs and lab coats, which could be much more disturbing, or should we say, scarier. Know that dental problems are linked to many other diseases in the latter life, and that include heart problems, overweight, and diabetes.
Of course, parents of children who are suffering from diabetes must be extra careful with the kind of food that they should allow their children to eat, especially in occasions such as Halloween parties wherein sweets are the main course. And even if it’s not a Halloween party and you have no diabetic child, sugar intake must still be carefully watched because too much sugar may still take toll on your kids’ health in time. Candies may have high saturated fat content that can increase levels of artery-clogging cholesterol, hence raising risk of heart disease.
Image from nydailynews.com
As for added scary character, kids’ faces are often painted. They’re painted with paint products that contain lead. A report issued by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found 10 most commonly used face paints all 10 contain lead. According to Stacey Malkan, a co-author of the report, 6 of the 10 face paints had known skin allergens, which include nickel, cobalt or chromium, at high levels and above recommendations of industry studies. But marketers hide that by labeling the products as nontoxic and hypoallergenic. Now, that’s creepy.
Thirdly, Halloween is iconic. There’s not a problem if children develops high reverence to those who could bring good influence. But who does Halloween introduces to kids? Grim Reaper, Frankenstein, Dracula, ghosts, witches, vampires, werewolves, and a heck of other nonsense imaginary characters that are all vicious. Why not just introduce Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin to them instead, and let them know what evil really means.
Fourthly, Halloween is largely commercial. Costume designers and clothing manufacturers earn big as more and more parents buy things that they need for guising. Transport companies earn from those who travel to places believed to be haunted. Restaurants, stores, and hotels take opportunity of the Halloween atmosphere by decorating their edifices to attract customers. Food companies get high sales when people start piling candies and making pies, toffees and cakes. People enjoy making capitalists richer and richer, while they benefit with no less than making themselves feel like they’ve spent their money on something important.
